Owens: On August 2, The New Republic’s editors claimed, “All of Beauchamp’s essays were fact-checked before publication. We checked the plausibility of details with experts, contacted a corroborating witness, and pressed the author for further details.” In the same article, during the course of their “re-reporting” of the incident, the editors claimed “Most important, we spoke with five other members of Beauchamp’s company, and all corroborated Beauchamp’s anecdotes, which they witnessed or, in the case of one solider, heard about contemporaneously.”

Have you, during the course of your investigation, uncovered any soldiers in Beauchamp’s company that could be regarded as a corroborating witness, or that corroborated the anecdotes, or even heard the stories contemporaneously? If so, what was the context of their corroboration? If not, why do you suppose that The New Republic tells a story so radically different than that the soldiers related during the course of the formal investigation?

Cross: In the course of my investigation, I did not interview anyone who corroborated PVT Beauchamp’s claims in “Shock Troops” that a Soldier was observed wearing skull parts recovered from a “Saddam-era dumping ground” on his head, dogs were being deliberately hit by Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and that a disfigured woman was openly mocked by Soldiers in the FOB Falcon dining facility.

Owens: What has been the reaction among the members of Beauchamp’s company to the claims he made in “Shock Troops?”

Cross: Many Soldiers were upset about how the Soldiers in the article were portrayed as callous and uncaring. These characteristics do not reflect the professionalism and integrity of the Vanguard battalion and the high standards of conduct demanded by the Dagger Brigade’s leadership.

Owens: Do you think it is likely that some soldiers may have told The New Republic one story, and then provided a different story to investigating officers?

Cross: I can’t speculate about anything involving The New Republic, but I can speak to our procedures. When conducting the investigation, I focused on the information and evidence collected from the Soldiers in PVT Beauchamp’s unit in the form of written and signed affidavits, which did not support the events portrayed in the story. As all of the Soldiers interviewed during the course of the investigation made sworn statements, they understand the consequences of making false official statements.